Consumption recorder attachment for meters



April 16, 1946. F. s. BEACH ET AL 2,398,352

CONSUMPTION RECORDER ATTACHMENT FOR METERS Filed July 20, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors Fred 5'. 2640/2 Rose .3. Beach A3 ,9 5 V Attorneys April 16, 1946. F. s. BEACH ET AL CONSUMPTION RECORDER ATTACHMENT FOR METERS Filed July 20, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Fred, S. Bea,c/z

A ril 16, 1946. F. s. BEACH ET AL CONSUMPTION RECORDER ATTACHMENT -FOR METERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 20, 1945 lm enta rs,

Fred S..Bea,cb Fame-Beach &'

By 2 am] Patented Apr. 16, 1946 OONSUIIPI'ION RECORDER A'I'IAOWT IOB hed8.BeaehsndBcseB.lleaeh, Charlottelfieh.

July 20, 1'43, Serial No. 495,404

scum.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in meters and more particularly to means for use in eoniunctlon with electric. gas and other meters for recording the amount of consumption as it is registered.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device which may form an integral part of a newly constructed meter or be in the form of an attachment which can be readily attached to a meter and actuated by the registering mechanism thereof.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is adapted to be actuated by a meter mechanism for feeding a consumption indicating strip and wherein periodically, the strip can be tornoil and measured against a price chart to determine what amount to be sent to the particular public utility concern.

Still another object of importance is to provide a device of the character stated which because of its simplicity of construction can be manu factured at a nominal cost and which because of the accessibility of its parts can be readily repaired.

Various other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings- 1 I Figure l is a front elevational view tachment.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view with the cover removed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the slide cover.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the operating roll of the attachment.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the operating roll.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing how the operating roll is connected with the indicating hand of the meter.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the tape peeling element.

. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the tape holding spring.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of roll showing feed teeth.

of the at- Flgurei3isaperspectivevlewofthepriee chart used in conjunction with the recorder.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the present invention built into a 6 new meter.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing the record strip moving from an accordion formed pile.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 generally refers to a registering meter, say for instance, an electric meter having its lowest amount indicating hand I connected with the present invention, which is generally referred to by numeral I.

As is evident from the drawings, the present invention can be in the form of an attachment asshowninFigure2, orbuiltintothemeteras suggested in Figure 14.

Taking first, the device which is an attachment, it can be seen that numeral 8 denotes a vertically elongated box preferably of plastic material and which at its upper portion is opposed to the usual bowl 9 of the companion meter 5. A suitable bracket ll supports the box I and a resilient gasket II which is preferably weatherproof, separates the upper portion of the box 8 from the meter bowl.

As is seen in Figure 4, the inside of the side walls of the box I are provided with guideways I! for receiving the edge portions of a cover II which is preferably of plastic material. It is also preferable that the guideways l2 taper slightly in an upward direction as does the edge portion of the cover I! so that when the cover is moved to its uppermost position and held by a bolt ll, the box will be entirely weather-proof in all respects.

'I'hebolt llpassesthroughalug llandthrough anopeninginthetopoftheboxwherethesald bolt is equipped with a wing nut ll.

The lower portion of the cover It downwardly through a slotted lip ll having an opening ll therethrough and through which a padlock I! can be disposed.

In the upper portion of the box I is a short vertical partition 2|. Just belowthe lower portion of the partition 2. is a spindle 2! on which a roll 21 is rotatable and this roll 21 has tape 2! wound thereon. The tape 23 passes upwardly and through an opening 2| in a vertical member I! and extends farther upwardly and over a roll II. In this connection the record tape II may have a center line of perforations ll for receiving the feed teeth" on the roll ll.

Obviously, it is not -tohavo theieed teethfl iorthe recordtapefiaathotlwwillbe smoothly and accurately fed simply with the provision of a spring finger 33, this iinger beins secured to one side of the vertical member 2| and having its upper end curved as at 3! for disposition over the tape 23 and roll 30. It can be seen that an adjusting screw 15 is provided for holding the finger and record tape II against the roll 30.

Numeral ll denotes a short plate having a fairly sharp edge for peeling the record tape from the roll 3!. The upper edge of this peeler 3! is notched as at 3! to avoid the teeth 32 on the roll ii and has an attaching log 38.

Just under the roll II, the lower edge of the partition 20 has a serrated blade I! on which the record tape can be out.

As can be seen in Figures 8 and 9, the roll 30 may be smooth, or it may be provided with teeth 32 as shown in Figure 12. This roll has an arm 8 at one end and this arm has an apertured head ll through which the meter hand 3 is disposed. Obviously, as this hand 6 rotates, the shaft II is concurrently rotated for feeding the record tape 23.

Obviously, the strip 23 will be marl-red of! in certain designations indicating amounts consumed and indicated by the meter, and after the tape has been tom of! by engaging the same against the blade 38, it can be matched with the price chart 32 so that the consumer can ascertain the amount of electricity or gas which he has consumed over the past period, to the end, that he may make a proper remittance to the corresponding public utility concern.

The strip is matched against a chart it, which. of course, for dificrent kinds oi service and changes in prices will vary from time to time.

The indicating strip 23 may come from a roll 2'8, or a strip 23:: may be employed and this folded back and forth in the form of a pile resting within a cage 33 as is clearly shown in Figure 15.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows the present in vention as an attachment, however, the box (in (see Figure 14) has a rearwardly disposed cy lindricol portion 9a which takes the place oi the conventional meter bowl o. Further, there are various other Ways in which the present invention can be built in to a new met -22 While foregoing specification set vention in specific terms, is t s forth the ino be ,mdcrstood connection between one end of said feed roll and an indicating hand of the meter, a support for a supply of record tape mounted in the upper portion of the box below and to one side 01 said iced roll, means for directing the record tape upwardly over and pressing it into intimate contact with the feed roll, and means for peeling the record tape from the feed roll after passing over the latter, so as to cause the tape to depend and pass from the feed roll to the lower portion of the box, and a fixed blade mounted in the box adjacent the depending portion of the tape to facilitate severing of the tape at a predetermined point below the feed roll by tearing the tape off against said blade.

2. An attachment for an automatic registering meter having a. bowl, comprising a vertically elongated loci; having a lockable iront cIosure, means to secure the upper portion of the box to the from; of the meter bowl, 9. record tape teed roll journaled in the upper portion of the box, means to provide a constant operative connection between one end of said iecd roll and an indicatillg hand of the meter, :3. support for a supply of record tape mounted in the upper portion oi the casing below and to one side of said lead roll, means for directing the record tape over and pressing it into intimate contact with the feed roll, means for peeling the record tape from the feed roll after passing over the latter so to cause the tape to depend and pass from the roll to the lower portion of the bolt, and a blade mounted in the box adjacent the clependi portion of the tape to facilitate severing oi the tape at a predetermined point below the iced roll by tearing the tape off against said blade. 

